Labels may be used in a number of applications for identification purposes. In a number of these applications, labels may be exposed to relatively high degrees of wear, sun exposure, weather exposure, chemical exposure, exposure to gasses or fluids, and/or other types of exposure. Examples may include library environments, where labels may be exposed to scuffing; clinical or laboratory environments, where the labels may be exposed to various chemicals or fluids; as well as packaging or shipping labels, where the labels may be exposed to the weather. To protect the labels, laminating materials may be provided over the labels.
Some consumers turn to label service bureaus to pre-print labels that may be exposed to the elements described above. The labels may be prepared, printed and then provided with a laminate over the label by a third party, who then ships the prepared label to the consumer. Service bureaus may accommodate applications where labels are consecutively numbered, such as for providing product serial numbers or bar code labels, as well as applications where large quantities of labels may be desirable. However, in some applications, it may be desirable to immediately obtain a label, either customized or including standard graphic content, which may be laminated, without waiting for a label to be produced by and received from a third party.